Siblings in Arms
by TheMadChemist
Summary: A rewrite of Bleach involving Karin as a shinigami and main character.
1. Chapter 1

Siblings In Arms

Karin had always been a normal girl, sort of. She had, like her brother, always been spiritually aware. She could see the spirits but she chose not to believe. At first they had been fuzzy and vague but with each day she saw them with increasing clarity.

It wasn't so much that she didn't want to believe that ghosts existed; it was more that she didn't want to acknowledge that there was so much suffering. She didn't want to believe that death was anything but peaches and roses. She had changed her thoughts since she had been at the Dan Kon'onji show. She had heard the man's cry before the monster had manifested. Then she had seen her brother fighting in a black cape. The others couldn't see but she could.

Everyday since then she had felt a welling inside of her. She was the pot her soul was the water, boiling. Whenever she was close to Ichigo she felt something inside of her growing. At first Ichigo's presence had been comforting but overwhelming as if some great force were trying to smack her down into the ground. Now it felt as if her own force was pushing back equally; at least, it felt that way when he wasn't angry.

She had noticed she could feel a certain energy seeping out of people. Ichigo's reflected his mood. When he was angry the energy was intense, sharp, even ominously overbearing. When he was sad it seemed suppressed. When he was scared, however, was when his energy was the most frightening. His energy would briefly compress but then it would reveal its volatile nature and combust violently. Karin knew this; however, she never knew exactly where it would lead her.

Ichigo had come home and he seemed to be a bit confused to Karin but he seemed okay. Late in the evening, however, she had felt a powerful pulse. When it didn't die down Karin started to get worried. She then barged into Ichigo's room to see Ichigo leaving through his window as a shinigami and she saw a shady looking man sitting in the window smiling.

"Who are you?" Karin demanded.

"Why, I'm just a humble shop owner." He continued, "But, you have some interesting reiatsu there."

Karin frustrated with the man's jovial attitude raised her voice and crudely demanded, "What's going on with Ichi-nii?"

The man shrugged before replying, "To help a friend."

During this conversation Ichigo was just confronting a red-haired shinigami known as Renji. He was quickly outmatched though as Zabimaru tore through his shoulder. As he collapsed to the ground his reiatsu took a steep drop. Karin felt it back at the house.

"Ichi-nii!" Karin exclaimed. She then began to run away but was stopped by the strange man.

"Get out of my way." Karin yelled.

"Don't be so mean." He replied with a frown.

"Ichi-nii needs help so move." Karin cried while giving him a strong push only to end up on her butt.

"I'm impressed you can sense his presence well enough to know this." The man stated. "My name's Kisuke Urahara; why don't you come with to help Ichigo."

Before Karin could say anything Kisuke had already thrown her on his shoulders and taken off. She watched as they passed through the window at blazing speeds to hit the pavement and disappear without an impact. She tried to look but was quickly dizzied by the dazzling display of color rapidly passing by.

When they stopped Karin took a moment to regain her bearings before examining the scene. She saw a guy on the ground. She didn't know his name but she was sure he was in Ichigo's class. Determining that he would probably be okay she continued looking until her eyes came across a pool of blood. The mass of red began to lighten as the skies let loose their tears. But, the red refused to die instead choosing to incarnadine the water; perpetually staining the pure and translucent. She followed the bloods trail to see Ichigo.

Ichigo's body was littered with deep gashes that deemed it fitting to generously let loose his vital life essence. His face wasn't moving. His face wasn't peaceful. This wasn't right Karin thought.

Urahara began walking and Karin glanced up after the jolt to notice the umbrella he was holding for the first time. Each step echoed in the deathly silence. A clatter that met with the sorrowful inundation from the heavens in a manner pierced that but failed to disturb.

"Ichi-nii's not dead." Karin declared, her voice subtle as the runoff trickling into the sewers. "I can still feel him." She continued. "Its weak like someone tried to remove but it's there."

Urahara looked down at her with a genuine smile before replying, "You're right kid but if we don't take care of this he's gonna die. We'll take him to my place."

The two were interrupted by footsteps from behind them. They turned around see Uryuu off of the ground and looking at Ichigo seriously.

"Please, take care of him." Uryuu started. "If anyone is going to be able to save Rukia it will be him."

"You look pretty bad yourself, let me take of your wounds at my shop." Urahara offered.

"I'll be alright." Uryuu stated before walking off.

Urahara bent down to pick up Ichigo and then Karin and the disappeared in a flash once again. She looked up to see them walking into a normal looking store. All semblance of calm left her when she saw the approach of a behemoth of a man.

"Tessai would you mind using some healing kidou on Ichigo?" Urahara requested his voice still jovially irritating to Karin.

"What is kidou?" Karin asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Urahara replied, his face spread by a cheeky grin. "Kidou are basically shinigami spells that utilize one's reiatsu. They can be attacks, bindings, or something else like healing."

"What is reiatsu?" Karin growled, the confusion furthering her impressive ire.

"Earlier you said that you could feel Ichigo, no?" Urahara inquired.

"Yes! Now get on with it already." Karin snapped.

"What you felt was his spiritual energy or reiatsu. Might I mention that you and Ichigo both have incredible reiatsu. Both of you have also always possessed latent shinigami powers. Rukia who I believe you should remember from the night everyone says your clinic was involved in an 'accident.'" Urahara lectured.

Karin thought back and tried to remember and when she did what she recalled surprised her. She remembered them all being at the mercy of some monster. There was this girl dressed in a black cloak with a katana. Karin remembered that she got hurt. After that her memory got fuzzy.

"Rukia transferred her shinigami powers to Ichigo after she got hurt." Urahara stated. "But, what she ended up doing is covering up Ichigo's latent powers that have long been ready to be woken up."

Urahara paused before continuing. "Two powerful shinigami came recently to take Rukia back to Soul Society; however, when she gets there she is going to be sentenced to capital punishment." Urahara paused again before proceeding. "Ichigo tried to save her but was obviously beaten near to death. To make things worse in the off chance that he would live they sealed his reiatsu and the shinigami powers given to him by Rukia."

"So Ichi-nii is no longer a shinigami." Karin asked.

"Not quite, Ichigo's reiatsu is still able to be unlocked and he still possesses his own shinigami powers to unlock." Urahara explained. "Normally, it would take drastic, dangerous, even deadly action to regain his reiatsu but with you here we can flood his body with your reiatsu and release his that way."

"I have a question. Why does it need to be my reiatsu?" Karin demanded.

"Ah that's a good question. The reason is that your reiatsu is similar to his. If it's not a close family member this method just doesn't work. Soul Society scientists have been trying to figure it out for years but truly no one knows why." Urahara lectured.

"After that we need to wake up both of your shinigami powers." Urahara stated.

"I have shinigami powers?" Karin replied. "I think you're crazier than my dad."

"I can hear your zanpakutou inside of you crying to be found. I'll not repeat the mistake with Ichigo of not releasing it when he was ready." Urahara stated seriously.

"What do you mean about not releasing Ichi-nii's zanpakutou?" Karin inquired.

"Ichigo has always been blessed with an incredible reiatsu. His powers had grown enough to function as a shinigami by about the time your mother died. I had thought that not awakening his powers would keep the hollows away but his incredible reiatsu did the trick anyways. You are ready to awaken your powers and this time we won't leave you defenseless like Ichigo." Urahara explained.

"Wait a second." Karin furrowed her eyebrows. "What is the probability of two people in one family having an amazing reiatsu and shinigami powers which should not be found in humans? It seems to me that you're hiding something." Karin accused.

"That would be your father's story, not mine." Urahara replied his face slowly twisting from surprised to smiling and cunning. "Anyways you need to learn how to use your reiatsu. Shall we begin."

Karin was sweating vigorously after what she would forever recall as the lesson from hell. Her entire body felt numb. She couldn't gather any energy for anything. It was like she had played soccer twenty-four hours straight. This man was fucking insane she had concluded. She had decided that maybe her father wasn't as crazy as she had thought. She then decided that perhaps her father was crazier than she thought and actually friends with this nutjob.

"Alright, I'll give you an hour to rest before giving Ichigo the reiatsu transfusion." Urahara declared. Once again Karin cursed this man. No, she thought, man was too much of a compliment he was a psychopath with no equal.

An hour later Karin was by her brother's side getting ready to go. She took his hand into hers as per Urahara's instructions. She focused and found her reiatsu and when she grabbed it she pushed. It flowed into Ichigo and Karin thought she felt something breaking when she felt his spiritual pressure burst. It wasn't hers either; she could tell by the distinct sensation that the radiant energy instilled in those who were exposed to it. It was rather comforting Karin thought. No, comforting wasn't the word she ultimately decided on protective. Karin decided at that minute that when she got her zanpakutou she would be right with Ichigo her blade with his being the protectors. Ichigo may mean "first protector" but it didn't mean "only protector."

Author's Note:

That first chapter was tough to create but I like its feel better than any of my other attempts at fanfiction. I haven't abandoned my NarutoxShion story I just had a strong urge to write something like this. I haven't found many stories with Karin as a shinigami, doesn't mean that they aren't there, and thought that I would attempt to use the idea in a story. With baseball tryouts added on to an already hectic schedule I don't know when I will be able to update. Hopefully soon.

Completed 3/6/09 9:02 PM CST.

Actual Story 1,800 words in length.


	2. Chapter 2

Siblings in Arms Chapter 2: The Moon and the Star

Immediately following the burst of reiatsu Ichigo sat up with a violent start. He looked around the barren room and saw Urahara and Karin. The last one left him to rub his eyes. He was supposed to be dead but here he was in a room with Mr. Hat and Clogs and his sister.

His senses were overwhelmed with a new but familiar reiatsu. He noticed it coming from his sister. It felt huge, just a bit smaller then his own. Ichigo figured that he should have noticed it a while ago but as busy as he had been he had probably ignored it.

"Karin, where am I?" Ichigo asked, his voice groggy and disoriented.

"To be honest I don't know. I've been too busy trying to survive the things this nut job calls training." Karin replied, agitation evident.

"Are you okay Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, her eyes possessing a softer gaze than Ichigo could ever recall gracing her before.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied, "but damn those bastards did a number on me."

"Who did a number on you?" Karin asked.

Ichigo's face took on a worried expression before settling back to a scowl when he gave his reply, "Just some fuckers who didn't like my hair color."

"You don't have to lie," Karin told Ichigo, "I know that you're a shinigami and that you've been fighting some things called hollows." Karin took a breath and continued, "So please stop lying."

"I'm not lying." Ichigo lied, his signature scowl present.

One glance at his face and the words themselves drove Karin to begin raising her leg. She quickly brought it forward right into his chin. She placed her arms at her hips and glared down at Ichigo.

"I thought I told you to stop lying." Karin exclaimed.

Ichigo, fearing for his life, quickly replied with a customary, "I'm sorry." Ichigo then elaborated, "It's a long story I don't feel like telling right now."

"I've got time," was Karin's succinct reply. Her face now possessed its signature scowl that was reminiscent of Ichigo's.

Ichigo sighed and seeing no way out of this began his explanation. "It all began when that one hollow attacked our clinic. Before the attack I happened to meet a shinigami hunting that particular hollow. Her name was Kuchiki Rukia. She's a midget and incapable of drawing. I mistook her for a burglar and gave her a nice kick. I ended up with my hands stuck behind my back, knees on the floor, while being tortured with bad drawings."

Karin gave Ichigo a harsh strike on the back of his head before yelling, "Stop talking about the drawings already."

Ichigo rubbed his head before continuing. "She went to fight the hollow leaving me bound. When I noticed you guys were in trouble I managed to break the spell. While trying to fight I got in the way and got Rukia hurt. In order to save everyone Rukia gave me temporary shinigami powers. Ever since then I've been fighting hollows and performing konso."

"What is konso?" Karin growled.

Ichigo put his hand to his face and made a rubbing motion as if to soothe a headache. "Konso is when a shinigami sends a soul to Soul Society. Anyways, things went smoothly until recently. Turns out Rukia got in trouble for letting me borrow her powers and staying here so long. They tried to kill me and they've taken Rukia back with them where they are going to execute her."

Karin looked rather surprised for a brief moment before her face reformed the omnipresent scowl. "Aren't you going to do something about this?" Karin inquired, her voice ferocious like a tiger's roar.

"Yes, I am I just need Mr. Hat and Clogs to help me get to Soul Society and then I'll save her myself!" Ichigo retorted.

"I'm afraid I can't help you right now. Because if you go as you are now you'll die. I let you fight these guys this time. I figured you'd learn best by example. Also you would do well to note that both of them will be at least five times stronger when you get to soul society." Urahara explained his face serious.

"Besides as of now you don't have your shinigami powers. We call sending someone to a certain death a suicide mission. Don't use others to justify your own death, Kurosaki-kun." Urahara continued his explanation with a heavy expression but once he finished a smile started on his face.

"Kurosaki-kun, you should know that Rukia didn't need to give you shinigami powers because you possessed your own. I regrettably admit I should have helped you wake them up years ago but with Rukia's power no longer covering up your own we can take care of that now." Urahara continued in his annoyingly mischievous voice, a fan now hiding his face. "Before you go to soul society we need to wake your power and your sister's power and then let me teach you two how to fight."

"How do you expect me to sit here and play games while Rukia is going to die. I don't have time to learn how to fight from you; I need to get to Soul Society as quickly as possible." Ichigo roared.

"I thought I told you to stop using others to justify your own death. If you go as you are now you and Rukia will die. The danger Rukia faces is not as immediate as you think. Soul Society has a thirty day waiting period before executions. That gives me plenty of time to bully you. I'd say about twelve days to get you and your sister up to par." Urahara finished having completed another maddening mood shift from levity to severity and back to levity. "Just so you know par on my course is a hole in one."

"Oi, one question, how'd I get back inside my body?" Ichigo asked.

Yet again Urahara's face took on that infuriating smirk before cryptically, yet succinctly replying, "Special delivery."

Urahara then proceeded to guide the siblings to his underground training room. Karin upon seeing the room allowed a gawk to occupy her face. Ichigo feigned indifference. Urahara perturbed by the silence decided to act out the part of the stunned visitor.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. "Who would ever imagined something like this existed under that candy shop…"

"Stop it we're impressed enough as it is," Karin replied as courteous as always.

"Ah, that's good to hear. Now, on to restoring your powers, it's simple. All you have to do is knock my hat off. Please come at me with the intent to kill because I will be granting you that courtesy." Urahara's lecture stopped as his face adopted a mild but murderous grin.

"Awaken, Benihime," Urahara cried as his zanpakutou came out with an explosion of power.

Ichigo dived to grab Karin before rolling them both out of the way. Urahara was flying towards them his sword poised to slice. Ichigo weighing his options decided he had no choice but to throw Karin out of the way as he leaned back. Ichigo continued his lean backwards transforming into a roll which he used to resituate himself on his feet. Without a single second of breathing room Ichigo was forced to parry to the right to avoid a vicious strike intended to crack his skull.

Finally having a free moment from the frenzy, Ichigo's mind decided to turn his mouth into a toilet. "Shit, he's fucking fast." Ichigo declared.

The reprieve was quickly ended as the hat wearing maniac proceeded to launch an even more savage series of slashes. Ichigo became a contortionist as he weaved around the attacks. He leaned to the left. He pivoted to the right. He lunged back. He hunched forward. He finally declared, "That's not supposed to bend that way," as his back gave a thunderous pop.

Karin couldn't help but watch. She didn't know what she could do. I'm just a burden right now, she thought. I can't help Ichi-nii unless I get stronger. But how? How?

Karin opened her eyes to see a giant soccer field with a beautiful woman in the center. The women had long flowing hair that was a radiant blue. Her complexion was pale but not sickeningly so and her eyes were a piercing shade of blue. Overall, this woman seemed to shine.

"Welcome Karin, I've been expecting you." The woman greeted.

"Where am I?" Karin demanded, her voice edged with tempered steel.

"This is a manifestation of your soul," the woman explained.

"So basically you're saying that my soul is comprised of a soccer field. I guess I really do play too much soccer." Karin replied.

"Who are you and how are you in mind?" Karin crudely demanded.

"I am your zanpakutou's spirit." She revealed.

"If you wish to wield me you must answer my question truthfully. For what reason do you wish to fight?" The spirit asked.

"I wish to fight for Ichi-nii's sake." Karin replied.

"Do you wish to fight for just Ichigo's sake what about Yuzu or your father? Are they not just as worthy?" She countered.

"No! They are just as important I would gladly fight for them." Karin growled her ire rising.

"If you do not wish to fight for just Ichigo than what is your reason for fighting? Where will you get your resolve?" The spirit of Karin's zanpakutou demanded.

"I don't know and I don't see why it's important. While we're taking Ichi-nii is being attacked and I need to help him with or without a zanpakutou." Karin raged, her temper brought about by the cryptic questions she was being asked.

"Why is it so important that you help Ichigo?" She demanded, her own voice now edged with agitation.

"Because he's important to me and that's what we do for people who are important to us." Karin yelled.

The spirit smiled, seemingly appeased with this answer. A sword materialized. It was an elegant kodachi. It possessed an odd luminescent quality.

"Go and proudly call my name青い星 (Aoihoshi) to fight for what you hold dear." The newly revealed Aoihoshi commanded.

Ichigo had decided to run for his life. No matter where he went the freak was always a step ahead of him. He was just ducking under a swing meant for his head when he heard Karin cry out, "Shine, Aoihoshi!"

Ichigo couldn't help but be astounded. His little sister seemed to explode with power. To him there was no way to describe it. The look on her face was different than he was used to seeing. Karin's earlier faces had been laced with traces of denial left in the wake of events she had chosen to ignore. She hadn't had any resolve was the best way to put it, Ichigo thought. She was different now. Her eyes possessed a certain gaze. They had that famous look, the one that pierces through you into the future without missing a second of the present.

Karin's kodachi began to glow before lighting up in a blue flame. She attacked viciously attacked Urahara with wide sweep for his head forcing him to duck next to the already crouched Ichigo.

"Well it appears that little Karin's getting serious." Urahara taunted, his face twisted with an odd smile.

Karin's response was to make a leap towards Urahara her sword prepared for a downward strike. Urahara, however, in a demonstration of combat prowess simply sidestepped the swing and knocked Karin down with the hilt as she passed.

"What is it with this family all power and no finesse." Urahara declared seemingly convinced that the training room's fake sky had the answer. "To make it worse I think the rash older brother has more graceful movements than the sister. I mean did you see the way he bent earlier. "

Karin made another swing this one horizontal aiming to separate the torso from the legs. The swing was forceful and Urahara was slightly pushed back and the ground around him scorched.

"Wow, I guess the guys are going to be justified if they call you a firecracker." Urahara teased, the self-made pun apparently amusing him enough to further that damnable curvature of his lips.

Apparently, however, the man had decided playtime was over and began to pick up the intensity of the battle. He began with an expeditious overhead slice. Karin managed to bring her kodachi up with only an infinitesimal period of time separating her from doom. Karin moved to the side and prepared another attack but Urahara anticipated it and knocked the kodachi out of her hands. Urahara was seemingly preparing to drive the sword into Karin's vulnerable body; however, everyone present heard a cry.

"Zangetsu!"

Author's Notes:

Sorry this took so long to get out but there's school, school, more school, and did I mention school. This is over a month behind the planned release. I've checked and as of 4/12 I have one review. So my thanks go out to .fire333. I hope this continues to meet the standards you set for me and for the record I agree with you in HitsuKarin not being my favorite thing to read. But like a fungus it grows on you. This was another tough chapter for me, albeit rewarding. The meaning for the title is derived from the names of the zanpakutous. Zangetsu means something along the lines of "cutting moon." I spent a large portion of time thinking about how to name Karin's zanpakutou. I eventually decided to match the moon with another celestial object. At first I considered the sun but decided that it didn't really fit Karin. The sun is a source of life and Karin really doesn't imitate that to me. I decided instead to do a star bright, but distant. I eventually came up with the name Aoihoshi. It means "blue star". Basically the shikai wraps the kodachi in blue flames. I would classify the zanpakutou as a fusion between a melee and kidou type.

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Finished: Mon. 14 April 2:43 AM

Proofread and Published: Mon. 14 April 3:00 AM


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